After Joao Felix moved to Chelsea during the summer transfer window, Atletico Madrid fans defaced a plaque bearing his name and yelled at him, “Don’t come back, pig!”
After Felix completed his £45 million transfer to Chelsea, he was met with a barrage of online criticism from Atletico fans; some have now escalated their ire.
A plaque outside the Atletico stadium honors players who have made over 100 appearances; Felix’s plaque was chosen because of his recent permanent departure.
After Felix’s rather erratic five-year tenure in Madrid came to an end, his plaque was covered in rubbish, and someone had scribbled an insulting statement in Spanish.
‘Don’t ever come back, pig,’ Atletico fan @Reycholosimeone posted on X while another supporter @ZonaAtletico trolled Felix for joining a ‘small team’.
Atletico splashed out a record fee in the region of £115m to sign Felix from Benfica in 2019, but the move largely didn’t work out for the player or the club.
Felix produced 34 goals and 18 assists across 131 games for Atletico – but was twice shipped out on loan – firstly to Chelsea and then secondly to Barcelona.
He now has a totally fresh start at Stamford Bridge, though, after Felix penned a seven-year deal with the west Londoners.
‘I’m really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can’t wait to get started,’ Felix said.
‘I can see some familiar faces from the last time I was here, which is always nice.’
Felix made 16 Premier League appearances for Chelsea on loan in the 2022-23 season, conjuring up four goals.
Not everyone has been left impressed by the way Felix has been treated by Atletico fans after his move to Chelsea.
‘Some fans take it too personal when a player leaves,’ @Genie_256 posted on X. ‘These guys are also looking for a better future above anything else like we all do.’